Letters are created from the case, property, or permit file you want to send one from. Every
letter — new or based on an old one — goes through the same 4-step dialog:
The template list on the left only shows templates scoped to the parent object type you're
sending from — a case, a property, or a permit file (see the
admin guide if you think a
template is missing from the list; it may be scoped to a different parent type).
Cloning a letter? See Cloning or copying an existing letter
below — clone mode changes what's shown on this step (a banner naming the source letter,
and no template pick since that's inherited from the source).
Person tools, above the recipient table, let you fix up who's available without leaving
the flow:
Choose a recipient, from the candidate table of people already linked to the case or
property:
Below the recipient picker:
The letter body is a rich-text editor pre-filled from the template. Nothing is locked yet — you
can edit the text freely before finalizing. Once the letter has a reference number assigned, it
shows in a bar above the editor.
Tip: In the editor, press Enter once for a new paragraph — a single Enter creates the
paragraph break, and the printed/PDF letter adds spacing between paragraphs automatically.
You don't need a blank line in between.
Cloning a letter? A pure clone shows the body as read-only text instead of an editor
— see Cloning or copying an existing letter. An
editable copy shows the normal editor below, just pre-filled from the source letter.
Templates — and your edits here — use template insertion points: fields like
<<RECIPIENT_NAME>>, <<DATE_OF_RECORD>>, and (on CE case letters) <<VIOLATIONS>> that get
filled in automatically. Click template insertion points reference below the editor for the
full list (see also the admin
mail-merge token reference, which adds
notes on which parent types each field applies to); you don't need to type any of this by hand.
If you add or remove the <<VIOLATIONS>> insertion point by hand while editing, click
rescan text for template insertion points afterward. This re-checks the draft text and
turns the violation display panel below on or off to match — it's a manual step (not automatic
on every keystroke) so the page doesn't have to re-scan the whole draft on every letter.
When the draft contains <<VIOLATIONS>>, a violation display options table appears,
listing the case's active violations. For each linked violation you can independently toggle:
Use the Show all / Show none links in a column's header to set that flag for every
violation at once, or remove from letter on a single row to drop just that violation from
this letter — it stays on the case; this only changes what prints on this particular letter.
If any linked violation has photos (or the letter has its own attached photos), a Photo size
for printing control appears with three options: Small (4/page), Medium (2/page), or
Large (1/page). This controls how many photos fit per printed page in the finalized PDF —
pick Large when detail needs to be clearly legible, Small when you just need a lot of photos on
record without many pages.
You don't have to finish the flow in one sitting. Save Draft and Close (available here on
Step 3, and as Save in Draft State on Step 4 before finalizing) closes the dialog without
finalizing — the letter is kept in Draft status and stays listed in the panel with an
edit draft link, so you can reopen and continue it whenever you're ready. A draft letter
also has a finalize link right next to its status badge, if you decide it's ready without
reopening the full flow.
The left column summarizes what you're about to finalize — template, recipient, mailing
address, date of record, action due by (with a "days from now" count), the number of
violations attached, and the reference number once one's assigned. If this letter is a clone
or copy, an extra row names the source letter. The right column shows a live preview of
the letter with real data (not dummy values), including the header image if the template has
one.
Once finalized, the summary switches to a Letter Finalized badge with the finalized
timestamp, and two new actions appear:
Once a letter is finalized, a clone / copy link appears. This opens a mode chooser with
two distinct paths:
Both paths reuse the same 4-step flow above — the mode you pick just changes what's locked at
each step: Step 2 shows a banner naming the source letter, and Step 3 either shows the body as
read-only text (pure clone) or a normal, pre-filled editor (editable copy).
See also: Distributing a letter,
Printing a letter,
Mail-merge token reference.
Back to: Letters & Emailing — User Guide